Packet of sheet and decorative material and the like



May 29, 1934. R, N. WALLACH PACKET OF SHEET AND DECORATIVE MATERIAL AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 10, 1931 lNVENTOR R065? A/. l Vzzmo/ A07, ORNEYS Patented May 29, 1934 PACKET OF SHEET AND DECORATIVE MATERIAL AND THE LIKE Roger N. Wallach, Briarcliff Manor, N. Y., assignor, by mcsne assignments, to Sylvania Industrial Corporation, Fredericksburg, Va... a corporation of Virginia Application November 10, 1931, Serial No. 574,108

6 Claims.

This invention relates to an article of manufacture, particularly a packet of sheet and decorative material and to a process for manufacturing the same. i

It is a general object of this invention to provide a novel packet of sheet and decorative material which is substantially resistant to damage by handling, folding, creasing and the nominal abrasion occurring during marketing.

It is a further object to provide a. novel packet of sheet and decorative material which may be placed on the market without the use, of extraneous supportive or protective members associated therewith.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved supporting means for a roll of flexible sheet material.

It is a specific object of this invention to provide a process of packaging sheet and decorative material, particularly cellulosic material in sheet form and in the form of a substantially elastic mass suitable for decorative purposes, which shall not require the use of extraneous supportive or protective members to prevent the packet from being damaged by handling, folding, creasing and conditions arising during the marketing of the packet. Other objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessing the features, properties, and the relation of elements which will be exemplified in the article hereinafter described, and a process for manufacturing the same, comprising steps and the relation of such steps to each otheras will be hereinafter disclosed, and the scope of the application will be indicated in the claims.

In the marketing of rolls of flexible sheet material, particularly paper, in small quantities for use in the home, etc., it has heretofore been the practice to protect the material from damage by handling, folding, creasing, etc.,- by supporting the material on a core and enclosing the roll in a protective container. ,It has been found essential in the past to use a rigid core, such as one made of wood, metal or reinforced paper and the like. Likewise, the container has heretofore been made of a paper board, or of a substantially stiff paper in order to further protect the rolled material therein. It is apparent that these prior supportive and protective members add superfluous weight to the package and substantially increase the manufacturing cost of the package. Further, as the stiff protective members can not be utilized for satisfying the needs to which the rolled sheet material is normally applicable, these members must be considered waste material from the standpoint of the ultimate purchaser of the package.

I have found that flexible sheet material may be packed and distributed inthe trade without the use of waste supportive or protective members as heretofore required. Thus, when flexible sheet material is associated with a compressed mass of an expansive, elastic material as herein described it may be so prepared for the trade that no waste packing material is required and, further, every member of the novel packet may be utilized as a decorative or wrapping material or for other known applications of these ma- 0 terials.

The invention accordingly comprises broadly a packet of sheet and decorative material comprising a core of expansive, elastic material, preferably a material useful for decorative purposes 5 and the like, which supports and is surrounded by flexible sheet material, and a wrapper substantially enclosing these members. The invention further comprises a process for manufacturing this packet.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 represents a layer of core material prior to being formed into a cylindrical mass;

Figure 2 shows the core material in partially rolled or shaped condition;

Figure Bdepicts a packaged assembly with the cylindrical core in position;

Figure 4 shows the package partially formed about the core;

Figure 5 illustrates a completely rolled package enclosed within an outer wrapping of similar material, and

Figure 6 depicts the packaged material in marketable form.

Referring more particularly to Figures 3 and 6 of the drawings, it will be seen that in a simple embodiment the invention comprises a roll (1) in which a core (4), formed of a compressed cylindrical mass of an expansive, elastic material, such as shredded regenerated cellulose, is surrounded by a plurality of sheets (5) of a flexible material, such as regenerated cellulose in sheet form, and a Wrapper (6), comprising a sheet of regenerated cellulose, of slightly greater dimensions than the sheets which are enclosed thereby.

In Figure l the core material is shown formed er LO into a layer having a substantial thickness and a width equal to the length of core desired. For forming this material into a compressed cylindrical mass there may be employed, in one embodim rit of the invention, a forming member (7) comprising a rod of rigid material, for example, a metal rod, about which the core material is rolled.

In Figure 2 the core material is shown partially rolled about the core-forming rod (7) After the cylindrical core has been thus formed it is placed upon the sheet material (5) in the position illustrated in Figure 3 and tightly rolled therein as shown in Figure 4. A wrapper (6) of slightly greater width than the sheet material is now rolled about the rolled sheet material. The coreforming rod (7) is now withdrawn and the ends (8 and 8) of the Wrapper (6) (of. Figure 5) projecting beyond the ends of the rolled sheet ma terial are tucked or folded suitably into the ends of the roll. In its preferred form the finished packet has the general appearance of the roll shown in Figure 6.

In accordance with the above description it will be evident that the process of forming the novel packet of this invention consists of the steps of compressing an expansive, elastic mass, such as a mass of shredded decorative material, into the form of a cylindrical core, rolling flexible sheet material circumferentially about the core thus formed and enclosing the rolled material in a sheet of flexible wrapping material, such as a sheet of transparent regenerated cellulose. When the wrapping sheet is taken in a width greater than the rolled sheet material, those portions of the wrapper which extend beyond the ends of the rolled sheet material are preferably tucked, crimped or folded into the ends of the roll.

The core preferably comprises a material which may be formed into a substantially expansive and elastic mass. A material highly suitable for this purpose is regenerated cellulose which when shredded and/or crimped and compressed into the form of a suitable core will be found to offer substantial resistance to permanent deformation by pressure. This novel core will support flexible sheet material surrounding the same against damage by handling, folding, creasing, etc. Further, this core material, when suitably colored, impregnated or'otherwise treated with pigments, dyes, serves as a useful decorative or packing material in the home or trade. Instead of shredded regenerated cellulose, I may employ as core material in my novel packet a colored or uncolored paper, glassine, gelatine, cellulose derivative or the like, in shredded, crimped, or other condition adapted to form a substantially expansive and elastic mass capable of being compressed. into a suitable core form. Further, it will be understood that the expressions elastic mass of material and/or expansive, elastic material as herein used in the specification. and claims include such conditioned materials.

In a preferred modification of the packet the material surrounding the core comprises a plurality of sheets of regenerated cellulose. However, I may use any sheet material useful in the arts of decoration and/or Wrapping and the like, such, for example, as flexible sheet material prepared from wood pulp, cellulose derivatives, gelatine, casein, polymerized organic compounds, synthetic plastic compositions and the like, as such or in combination with each. other or with other materials as, for example, moisture-proofing compositions. It will be apparent that the sheet material may be transparent or opaque. plain or decorated, white or colored, embossed or smooth, and coated or uncoated. When a plurality of sheets are employed the sheets may be of the same or of different nature and/or composition and of substantially the same or of different length. While I prefer to employ such sheet ma terial in the form of a number of sheets of substantially equal width, I may employ a single web of such sheet material of such length as to provide a plurality of plies when circumferentially rolled about the core.

The wrapper may comprise flexible sheet material differing from the sheet material surrounding the core in both composition and dimensions. I prefer, however, that the wrapper differ from the sheet material of the roll in dimensions only, and utilize one which is slightly wider than the sheet material to be enclosed. Those portions of the wrapper or outermost sheet which project at the ends of the roll are tucked or folded into the ends of the roll. The tucked ends of the wrapper protect and enclose the edges of the enclosed sheet material and block the ends of the roll against the escape of the core material. This use of the outermost sheet or wrapper, however, does not materially decrease the value of the same as a decorative or wrapping paper and it may be used as such by the purchaser of the packet after removal from the roll. When the roll comprises a continuous web of sheet material a wrapper comprising a sheet separate therefrom and of the same or different material may be employed to enclose the rolled sheet material.

In a specific modification of the packet of this invention, the wrapper or outermost sheet, if used therefor, is transparent. Under these conditions one may insert advertisements, labels or other printed matter under the fiap (2) (cf. Fig. 6) of the wrapper in such a manner that the printed matter may be read through the transparent material. Owing to the form of the roll such printed matter may be retained therein even without the use of an adhesive, etc. poration of notices, printed matter, etc., in the packet in this manner preserves the outermost sheet or wrapper for use by the purchaser as above described.

It will now be seen that the article of this invention comprises a novelpacket of sheet and/or decorative material which may be distributed, handled or otherwise placed on the market without damaging the sheet or decorative material contained therein, in view of the manner in which the parts cooperate with each other. The compressed core material, being expansive and elastic, supports the rolled sheet material surrounding the same against deformation by pressure and against such forces as may cause a folding or bending of the packet. The sheet material acts as an efiicient container for the decorative core material. The wrapper or outermost sheet, without losing its usefulness as a decorative and/or wrapping material, serves to prevent the enclosed material from being damaged by handling or atmospheric conditions and protects the edges of the rolled sheet material against crimping, creasing, tearing, and further, may block the ends of the roll against the escape of the core material.

A further advantage of the article of this invention resides in the fact that it is economical to prepare since no superfluous supportive or protective members, such as a rigid core, are required in placing the packet on the market.

Since certain changes may be made in the The incor- Bil above article and process of preparing the same, and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limited sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, may be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A packet of sheet and decorative material comprising, in combination, a core of an elastic mass of shredded material and a plurality of sheets of flexible material rolled circumferentially about said core, the outermost sheet serving as a wrapper for said materials and said core cooperating with said sheets to form a packet resfstant to bending and wrinkling.

2. A packet of sheet and decorative material comprising, in combination, a core of an elastic mass of shredded material, a plurality of sheets of flexible material rolled circumferentially about said core, and a wrapper of flexible material enclosing said sheet material, said core cooperating with said sheets to form a packet resistant to bending and wrinkling.

3. A packet of sheet and decorative material comprising, in combination, a core of an elastic mass of shredded material and a plurality of sheets of regenerated cellulose rolled circumferentially about said core, the outermost sheet serving as a wrapper for said materials and said core cooperating with said sheets to form a packet resistant to bending and wrinkling.

4. A packet of sheet and decorative material comprising, in combination, a cylindrical core of a compressed, elastic mass of shredded regenerated cellulose sheets and a plurality of sheets of regenerated cellulose rolled circumferentially about said core, the outermost sheet being of slightly greater Width than the remaining sheets and the overhanging portions being tucked in at the ends of the roll to enclose the sheet material and to prevent the escape of the core material, said core cooperating with said sheets to form a cylindrical packet resistant to bending and wrinkling.

5. A packet of sheet and decorative material comprising, in combination, a core of an elastic mass of shredded material and a plurality of sheets of flexible material rolled circumferentially about said core, a wrapper of transparent, flexible material enclosing said sheet material and a legend-bearing sheet disposed beneath said transparent wrapper so that the legends may be read through said wrapper, said core cooperating with said sheets to form a packet resistant to bending and wrinkling.

6. A packet of sheet and decorative material comprising, in combination, a cylindrical core of a compressed, elastic mass of colored and shredded regenerated cellulose sheet material and a plurality of transparent sheets of regenerated cellulose rolled circumferentially about said core, a wrapper of transparent, flexible material enclosing said sheet material and tucked in at the ends of the roll to prevent the escape of the core material and a legend-bearing label disposed beneath one of said transparent sheets, said core cooperating with said sheets to form a cylindrical packet resistant to bending and wrinkling. V

ROGER N. WALLACE. 

